Washboard.



Patented Mar. 6, |999.

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i v 111| III!!! UILII UIIIIIIII nu .r l lill lull!! .llilllh llllllH HIIIIIIUHIIVA'ILW lllllllll NITED STATES ZSATENT FFICE.

ANDREW W. BISHOFF, OF AMBIA, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FREDERICK E. l-IANSON, OF SAME PLACE.

wAsHBoARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'Patent No. 644,760, dated March 6, 1900. Application iiledNovember 20, 1899. Serial No. 737,686. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, ANDREW W. BISHOFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ambia, in the county of Benton and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Washboard, of which the followingvis a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in washboards.

The object of the present invention is toimprove the construction of washboards and to provideasimple,inexpensive,andefficient one possessing great strength and durability and adapted to have Worn portions of its rubbingsurface readily renewed by changing the position of the parts.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is alperspective view of awashboard constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section al view. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. tis a detail sectional view taken transversely of one side of the washboard.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the draw- Y ings.

l designates the frame'of a washboard, composed of side bars 2, transverse connectingbars 3, et, and 5, and a back board or shield 6, arranged at the upper portion of the board and adapted to prevent any water from leaking through the top of the washboard onto the clothes of the operator. The cross-bar 3 is arranged at the top of the washboard, and the bar 5 is locat'ed near the lower ends of the side bars. The transverse bar 4 is located at an intermediate point, being arranged at the top of the rubbing-surface in use to form a soap-receptacle.

The side bars 2 of the frame of the washboard are provided at their inner faces with longitudinal grooves 7, and one of the side bars is provided at its upper end, near the top cross-bar 3, with an opening 8, communicating with the ways formed by the grooves 7 and adapted to permit tubular slats or sections 9 to be introduced into and removed from the ways formed by the grooves 7. The cross-bar 5 is located at the lower ends of the ways, and it is provided with projections or tenons l0, secured within the same by suitable fastening devices. The tubular slats or sections have straight side edges and are provided with corrugated inner and. outer or, rather, front and rear faces 11, forming rnbing-surfaces and adapted to permit the slats or sections to be removed through the opening 8 and turned end for end to reverse them, so that worn portions of the rubbing-surface of the washboard may be renewed. It has been found by experience that with washl boards having rubbing-surfaces formed by continuous sheets of Zinc or other material the entire washboard must be discarded as soonlas anyportion of the rubbing-surface becomesworn, as such worn portion is liable to tear the clothes.

The tubular slats o1' sections are filled inthe grooves or ways from the bottom bar 5 to the top bar 3, and those forming the bottom of the soap-receptacle and lying above the transverse bar 4 are adapted to be exchanged for those lying below the transverse bar et when it is necessary to renew the rubbing-surface in use after both rubbing-faces of the slats or sections thereof have become worn. This construction provides the washboard with a large amount of rubbing-surface adapted to be successfully used and capable of enabling the rubbing-surface in use to be renewed for a long time without discarding the washboard, and a new set of slats or sections may be obtained after those of a washboard have become entirely worn ont.

, The slats or tubular sections, which may be left hollow, are preferably provided with a suitable filling or body 12, of wood or any other material, which may be of a plastic nature in order to be easily run into the slats or sections. The tubular slats or sections are supported by being interlocked, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings, and each slat or section is provided at one edge with a pair of studs or projections 13, and it has at its opposite edge corresponding sockets 14. form tenons and mortises and do not interfere These projections or studs of the board to another'.

The slats or sections are firmly held in the l grooves or ways of the washboard by clamping-screws 15, extending through perforations of the top bars 3 and engaging the uppermost slatorsection 9. The screws also pass through nut-s 16, which are secured in recesses of the top bar by plates 17, arranged on the inner or lowei face of the top bar, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The bottom cross-bar 5 is provided with screws 18, having flat ends arranged liuslr with the inner side of the bar and adapted to prevent the same from being worn away by the slats orsections. The space at the top of lthe washboard between the top slat and the top bar 3 communicates with the. opening 8 and permits the board to drain freely at this point, so that there is no liability of it becoming watersoaked and rotting away.

It will be seen that the washboard is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it is strong and durable, and that its rubbing-surface is adapted to be renewed when Worn by changing the position of the slats and reversing the same to bring either of their rubbing-surfaces to the front of the board. The space above the slats permits the board to drain freely through the opening S when the washboard is inverted, and the intermediate transverse bar is recessed or cut away at its inner face to provide for the drainage of the front of the board.

The frame of the washboard is supported at the upper ends of the ways or grooves by a cross-bar 19, arranged in rear of the opening, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

opcnin g extending entirely through one ofthe sides and forming an entrance to the ways, a series of reversible and interchangeable slats arranged in said ways and adapted to be removed from and introduced into the same through the said opening, and an adjusting device arranged at one end of the frame and engaging the adjacent slat to hold the slats 'out of alinement with the opening, substantially as described.

2. A washboard comprising a frame having opposite ways, a series of separate reversible and interchangeable slats or sections provided with interlocking projections and recesses, located at their side edges, and an adjusting device for holding the slats in engagement with one another, substantially as described.

3. A washboard comprising a frame composed of side bars provided at their inner faces with grooves, one of the side bars having an opening communicating with its groove, the transverse bars 3, 4 and 5 connecting the side bars, and a back, reversible and interchangeable slats arranged in the grooves and interlocked with each other, and adjusting-screws mounted on the frame at the top thereof and engaging the top slat or section, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW W. BISHOFF.

Witnesses: i

S. REED ALLEN, M. MoCoRMIcK. 

